Crown's Robert Dickie III says that 43 months of unemployment over 8 % prove it is time to stop looking to government for help

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Sept. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Crown Financial Ministries President Robert Dickie III on Friday said that the new unemployment numbers out "are unambiguous proof that a depressed workforce is still suffering, and America is headed toward hard choices."

"The important number to look at today is the labor participation rate," said Dickie. "So many people have stopped looking for work – 368,000 dropped out last month – that a tepid 8.1 percent is the new rate based on the fact that the government counts only those stalwart people who are still trying to get a job.

"But here is the irony: If the same number of people today were in the workforce trying to find a job as there were in 2008, the unemployment rate would be close to 11 %, according to financial analysts. Today's statistical gymnastics do not mask the harsh realities that people face. For every person who has given up looking for a job, there is a hurting family that has not gone away, even if they no longer 'count' on government labor roles."

Crown offers a number of tools to help people become free of debt with a plan for stable prosperity, including CareerDirect^®, which equips people to determine their strengths to get the education and jobs that will sustain them.

"It is time to stop looking to government for solutions and take back the responsibility to find a way through truly harsh economic realities," said Dickie. "Without new jobs providing tax revenue for government, even Uncle Sam won't be able to help. The resourcefulness of the American people is the solution to this crisis of joblessness, high national and personal debt and stagnant growth."

Crown, a non-profit, helps people and businesses integrate their values into business practices, debt reduction, and financial decision-making. For more than 35 years, Crown has been offering economic analysis and advice based on timeless truths. Theirs is a strong, international grassroots organization with offices in the U.S. and overseas. Crown experts work one on one with individuals and business leaders, as well as through workshops and seminars, teaching people how to build on a strong foundation that includes the business principles and practices found in the Bible. It is well known for its cutting edge materials first developed by its founder, the late Larry Burkett.  For more information, go to www.crown.org or call 800-722-1976

SOURCE Crown Financial Ministries